Aaron Hernandez’s Murder Conviction Upheld Two Years After His Death

On April 9, 2017, he was found dead in his jail cell.

Aaron Hernandez’s murder conviction was unanimously reinstated two years after the former New England Patriots tight end committed suicide in his jail cell after he was acquitted of most charges in a separate double-murder case.

Hernandez was found guilty of killing semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd back in 2015. On April 9, 2017, he was found dead in his jail cell. Being that he died prior to his appeal, a judge decided to vacate his conviction due to the legal principle. According to reports, the Massachusetts Supreme Court unanimously restored the conviction and doing away with the principle say it’s “outdated and no longer consonant with the circumstances of contemporary life.”

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III spoke on the court’s decision stating in a series of tweets that “We are pleased justice is served in this case, the antiquated practice of vacating a valid conviction is being eliminated and the victim’s family can get the closure they deserve.”

The SJC has ruled that Aaron Hernandez’s conviction for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd will stand. We are pleased justice is served in this case, the antiquated practice of vacating a valid conviction is being eliminated and the victim’s family can get the closure they deserve.

The conviction will stand once again but the court record will continue to show that Aaron Hernandez died before his appeal could be heard. Before his downfall, Hernandez played three seasons with the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots. He caught 175 passes and scored 18 touchdowns during his brief stint with the team. He was only 27-years-old when he decided to take his own life.